Improvement in clamps



L. AUSTIN.

Clamp.

No. 214,078. Patented April 8, I879.

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z 11-- n 3 Z a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAUREN AUSTIN, OF ROCKFORD, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,078, dated April 8, 1879; application filed December 2, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAUREN AUSTIN, of Rockford, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor-Jacks and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved floor-jack. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a front view thereof.

The same part in the several figures is desi gnated by the same letter.

This invention appertains to certain improvements in jacks, specially designed for use in wedging the tongued and grooved boards of floors together; and it consists in the detailed construction and arrangement of the parts constituting the jack, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings, A refers to a horizontal piece or bed, slotted in the direction of its length, to receive a rack-bar, b, of a clampinghead, B. The sides of the rack-barb are provided with tongues b fitting in grooves b in the inner sides of the slotted bed-piece A, to hold it in position in the latter.

The head B is grooved in its face, as at c, to enable it to receive the tongue of the board against which it is set in readiness to wedge or clamp the opposite tongue of said board into the groove of the fastened board. This head is further grooved or recessed, as at d, to permit of the inserting and driving of the nail into the board being clamped and secured in place.

0 is a hand-lever pivoted to and between short uprights or studs 6 e, fastened to the bed-piece A. The inner or lower end of the lever G is provided with a toothed segment,

0, which engages or meshes with the teeth of the rack-bar b of the head or clamp B, to enable the exerting of downward pressure on the lever 0, to throw the head or clamp out against the board in wedging or clamping it in position.

D is a dog pivoted to the bar or bed-piece A, and engaging with the rack-bar b of the clamp B, when the latter has been forced out against the board the required extent, to hold the clamp to its work when the hand is removed from the lever. The board can now be nailed or fastened in position.

Upon the rear end of the bed-piece A, directly over the holding-points f, is secured a socket, 9, whose cavity is filled in with hard wood or other similar substance, to resist the mutilating or splitting of the bed-piece by the striking of the same in driving said points into the joists. The same end of bed-piece is recessed, as at h, for the insertion of a suitable implement in prying the points f out of the joists when the jack is to be moved.

At the forward end of the bed-piece is hung a hook, i, for holding that end of the jack down in position.

This device is exceedingly simple, easily constructed, and cheap, as well as effective.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- The combination of the clamping-head B, having the groove or recess 61 and rack-bar I), with the slotted bed-piece A and toothed segmental lever O O, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LAUREN AUSTIN.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. IRONS, DAVID C. FLETCHER. 

